Method of peat mining



V Dec. 23, 1930.

M. N. KoRELlN `1,785,739

METHOD OF FEAT MINING Filed July 28, 1928 NVENTOR BY QAM Mawr ATTORN EY y.Parenteel Dec. 23,Y 1930 y triennali. KBELIN, 'QF Hoscow, Russia A 'MErHonor n I l.lippiia'mm mea my as, 192s, seriai No "Myfiriventionrelates to methods of peat mining and has a particular reference to surface mining byy means of cutting and disin` teeming implements,... Y gf Y My method iisvespecally applicable to'such lc' caliti`esy w'herepeat with its' overburden or top layer of soil'is exposed at least part of f `the' year and not fully covered with water, or where the water may be drained. il) Peat, as a rule, contains a large'percen'tag'e Q of rr'ioist'ulreV (reaching 801%7orjm0re), which must bei considerably reduced before peat can beused asa fuel.

, For this purpose peatlis vusuallyremoved from the ground-in the form of blocks cut f. br fajsuitable implement Y These blocks are n i' tlien left for' `aird for -severalweeks until the moisture content is suhfi'ci'ently reduced, 'so that `the dried peat `ai) blocks can be removed and shipped to be y used as fuel, often requiring additional drying inV kilns or ovens.

This method is slow and expensive, requir-y ing considerable handling of wet peat blocks before they are dried, also requiring a large tract of land where the peat blocks can be Vspread outl for drying during a warm season. According to my method the top layer of peat, instead of being cut in blocks, is crushed or disintegrated and left to be dried in such disintegrated condition. By properly handling such crushedv peat` according vto ymyfmethod, as hereinafter described, the

drying may be consider -reduced to a few days. VThe handling and gathering of ysuch crushed peat is greatly 'Y facilitated allowing the use ofsuitable conveying and transporting means.

My method is more full described in the following specification and drawing in whichl y Fig. 1 is a sectional view 0f a peat field with partly gathered peat, Fig. 2 is a plan view of same, Fig. 3 is a view showing peat ridges partly removed and new ridges being built, and Fig. 4 shows the ridges completely rebuilt.V The peat field oribog must be drained by means of open canals or ditches. Then the ryingin piles on the field ably expedited andA rma* MINING 256,050, and 1n Russia December 1o, 192e.

top layer of dirt or overburden is removed by any suitable means, for instance, bya s'cra'eryexcavator'or shovel, depending on its t iickness `or other conditions.

Tree stumps, large roots and stones must bev removed.`

Upon completion of the above described preparatory operations the upper layer of peat is VWorked with suitable crushing and disintegrati'ng implements, such as disc plows or disc hai-rows, to a convenient depth. This depth may vary under different condii tions, reaching, on the average, 100 centimeters.

In Case when it is difficult to remove roots and stumps, the drum ofthe disintegrating implement may be also provided ywith disc saws for cutting roots into chips.

yThe implement must be adapted to crush peatl into small lumps of the size of nut, pea and smaller.

The crushed peat is then piled in parallel sharp edged rows l with wide burrows 2 between them. This Work may be done either by hand with shovels, or by means of suitable implements, such as snow plows etc.

The surface layer of the disintegrated peat quickly dries to a depth of a few centimeters, and then it is scraped oif and piled in rows 3 (Fig. in bu-rrows left between the rid es. Y

f he freshly exposed surface again quickly dries, and the scraping operation is repeated severaljtimes, until all of the peat is piled in new ridges 3 (Fig. 4) or in cone shaped piles where it may be subjected to further air drying'. If necessary, the sides of the pile may be scraped ofi", as described for the first ridges, and the piles may be completely repiled or replaced, Y

The finally dried peat is removed into storage vplaces in baskets or by means of suitable conveyors. l

Y Rain does not affect the drying of crushed peat to any considerable extent, as the moisture is absorbed only to a depth of a few millimeters, as I have found by `actual experience. y Drying bymy method takes very little time and, usually, a -few ydays are sufficient` for proper drying of piles of disintegrated peat.` v

Y Anydesired practical degreeoi:` dryness may be obtained, and usually it is about 30 After the upper layer of peat has been` dried and removed, a second layer isscraped oil and removed in asimilar manner,'a nd this operation may bel repeated several times ,dur-

in the .operating season.

' tions.

uring drying operations of the crushed,V peat the exposed surface of peat in the ground also dries to a considerableetent', so that-'less time is required'for subsequent d'lylgolpel'a.

. The crushed and driedpeat can` be easily and conveniently handled by means oismt able` conveying and; tiansportmgl appliances -from'the lieldto placeswhereit is stored and" j treated iorfu'rtlier use, also from` the storage places to placesfloii its ultimate ,consumption.v

Ail' pipes maybe used for gatheringpeat and conveying to storage places, using suction v oir pressure Vblowing. Grabbuclets may be used for loading cars or trucks. Y f

Y Crushed peat has Vcertain advantages over peat blocks asit can be easily burned in fun, naces With inclined grates. lt slides down thev l. grates by gravity and quickly .dries in 'aY stream ,of preheatedv air,.especially ified by thinlayers. Belt or pneumatic Conveyors may be usedv for'lillingfbinsjabove furnacesi Iron particles and stonesmay be separated by,` means of suitableinagnetic andy gravity separators. Y f

Peat in aI crushedl ormcan beeclonomically vused liormaking briquettes, as it can be easily 'ground and dried in ordinary driers. Y Y Y Mymethod vof mining kand treating :peat

l possesses the following advantages Y 1. `Peat is veryeconomically and-.eiciently Amined by means of suitable mechanical appli-f ances. f

Transportationoi ther-Wet peatis elimir nated. Y

K Y 4. Thetime of drying* is greatly reduced.

Veo

5. Dried peat can be easily removed from the'iields by suitable mechanical means. l A 6. lt can be conveniently transported'. tof furancesand burned eiliciently. v v. 7. It can be economically converted into briquettes. 'i

burrovvs until said-first ridges are completely i removed; v

. 2. The method of peatmining consisting in crushing andl disintegrating the top layer. vof peat in the ield, said crushing being applied to the surface in strips leaving kuntouched strips between said crushedstrips, gathering the finely crushed material intosharpridges c Withtapering sideson said untouched strips,

4periodically removingthin driedlayers from said'tapering'sides'of said ridges, and build?,V ing new/ridges from said Vdried material in "f Ysaid;burrovvs4 until said first ridges are completely removed, 'f 1 I. p 3. The method 'of peat mining, consisting in crushing and disintegrating the top layer Of-peat/in the field,saidcrushingY being ap- Y plied: to said surfacein `strips vWith approxi-k mately equal spacesY Vbetween l said crushed strips, gathering the inelycrushed material untouched spaces kbetvveen said crush-ed strips, periodically removing thin dried layers from the sides of said ridges, building new ridges from `said dried material in said strips until soY sai'dlirst ridges `are completelyremoved, then gradually removingthe further dried layers from' the fsides ofsaidl second ridges and building third ridges lfrom said driedV Vmaterial in said spaces between said'strips.

Signed. atthe American ConsulateatRgav" .Y 'Latvia this twenty limiv day OfJunerii. u

MrcHAiLfNLKoREr-iiu.

2. No molding AO-liSllllPIl-g 0f. Peat is re: quired, thereby considerableeconomy is efs. My method of mining mi frauiig pas .m y .Y *i into vsharp.ridgeswith taperlng sldes onfsald` 

